


A Beginning

by Sheanio



Series: A Tattoo for Me and All My Friends [1]
Category: Seduce Me (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-26 14:52:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9907391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheanio/pseuds/Sheanio
Summary: Mika Anderson was born completely bare-skinned. Her parents have matching birthmarks that, as society has decided, has marked them as soulmates. When she's bequeathed her late grandfathers' massive estate she tries to create a new start for herself out from under her fathers' proverbial thumb. What she doesn't count on in the addition of 5 men found lying in a pool of blood in her lobby.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The only thing that belongs to me is the alternate universe, all characters belong to [Michaela Laws](http://www.michaelaamandalaws.com/). This work is not being used to generate any profit and is for public consumption. I reserve the right to have this posted with this disclaimer unless Michaela Laws requests otherwise. This fan-fiction is a fanwork. Please don't sue.
> 
> Authors' notes: As the tags list above this is a soulmate AU, the general plan is to create these stories for each of the boys at least, possibly including Diana I haven't thought that far ahead yet. The first chapter is a work on its own due to how similar the story pans out in the game itself no matter which route you decide to pick so it is a standalone piece. Now the first chapter is basically a novelization, as such there will be parts of the story such as dialog that basically have been lifted simply to keep the pacing, with a few liberties taken due to the nature of the AU itself, however, the basic storyline is the same so there will not be much missed if this is looked over in favor of the boys.  
> I will be writing the next parts with the boys in mind, so each part of the series will be a different boy starting with James and continuing in order from there. (i.e. Erik would be second, Sam third, etc).  
> As the series progresses things will differ and break from canon as necessary, this is the most I plan to take straight from the story aside from certain events later in the game. Please enjoy!

From birth, a person’s skin had a tattoo. It grew with them as they got older, stretching across the back in grandiose colors, or stayed uncomplicated on someone’s arm or side. Each tattoo was different and – so far documented – only one other. Some people wrote about having multiple tattoos for a plethora of individuals, people who viewed the markings as people who would become important to you in some way, people who were tied to your life in some way that no one knows until the two meet. People called them soulmates, and most commonly it was seen that having a matching tattoo meant that your match was meant for you and vice versa. As children, the idea of the tattoo and your soulmate didn’t matter, it was just something colorful on the body that was fun to look at and only mattered if you already knew who your match was – those were the lucky few.

Some people had their tattoos in odd places, behind the knee, the ear, one notable person had their tattoo on their tongue, another on their butt, however, everyone had them. Mika looked again in the mirror. She’s turning 19 soon, and still, her skin is as pale and blank as a fresh sheet of paper. She had no idea why her body was bare, her parents saw it as soon as she was born but was told that sometimes the tattoo didn’t show up until later, it was rare, but there have been documented cases of the tattoo appearing as late as 5 years. She frowned deeper at her reflection, turning her naked body around to stare and hope that she sees some form of discoloration, anywhere would be fine by now, even if it looked like a tramp-stamp. Naomi and Suzu had theirs, though both were reluctant to show them, understandably, so there was a big group of people, who held out from revealing their tattoo if possible until they found the person they want to be with. Naomi was of that belief, Suzu claims that she just doesn’t care and doesn’t hold herself or the person she wants to date to that standard of “Soulmate.”

A few moments of turning Mika sighed and stood in front of the mirror in her room, turning to get her clothes on for school. The week was winding down, and she could hardly wait for the weekend, homework be damned! Her brain chided her at that, reminding her that she still needed to maintain her grades if she wants peace in the house and that maybe she could listen to some different music, blue looks good with her eyes and maybe she should look into makeup she’d seen the things it can do and- Mika shook her head, her thoughts running away from her again into their own thing. She grabbed her bag, made sure the homework from last night is there along with her books and headed downstairs. A half-hour later she was stepping into the school building, heading straight for the cluster of lockers her best friends were waiting by.

“Good morning!” Naomi’s bright voice chirped out.

“Ugh, Naomi,” Suzu groaned, hiding a yawn behind her hand. “It’s too early for you to be this cheerful…”

Mika giggled at the pair, setting the textbooks for the afternoon in her locker and walking off to their first-period class with the girls. The day passed by slowly, the rain picked up sometime between second and third periods, right before lunch. School went by slowly during this time until her 4th-period class when she was called to the principal’s office with her belongings. Suzu grinned and asked who she beat up, Naomi got indignant in her defense, and Mika giggled at them both, collecting her things and leaving the room.

Mika didn’t know what to expect in the principal’s office, scenarios ran through her mind about her father taking her out of class early, her mother in that position, her grandfather even, inviting her out to have fun with him as a secret from her father. Her parents standing there, her father’s hand resting on her mothers’ back and her mother looking like she just stopped crying were not one of the scenarios.

“Mika,” Her mother started, voice shaking with more emotion than she’d seen on her face before.

“Sweetie.” Her father continued, “Your grandfather has passed away.” Her mothers’ shoulders shook, and Mika missed how her father kept from rolling his eyes at the display, her own eyesight misting up as well. In a flurry of activity, he thanked the principal for calling their daughter, showing his wife and Mika out the door and to the car, saying something about how the funeral had already been arranged per her grandfathers’ instructions, and they needed to leave for the ceremony.

 _Always so efficient…_ the thought ran bitterly through Mika’s mind as a sudden flare of anger rose in her. Her father was always so blasé about her grandfather that she wondered if the first thing he did when he heard was to celebrate his death. She squashed it down, a funeral was not a place where she should be angry, she needed to be strong for his memory. Her father quickly took her home and allowed her to change, getting into a more suitable mourners’ outfit, before going to the cemetery and quietly listening while the priest said the final rites over the drab stone slab as the rain from this morning continued to pour. The priest finished, and another man stepped forward, her grandfathers’ lawyer her Father whispered to her.

“And now I shall read Harold Anderson’s last will and testament” He started, beginning by listing off personal assets and money to be donated to charity, put into the company, put towards any debts still outstanding in his name. His final wishes as to how he’d like the business to be run, and many other notes that will probably be read again in a better setting. Mika had started to tune the man out when a line brought her attention back. Her grandfather had left her the entirety of his estate and everything inside it. She looked taken aback, a piece of property large enough and built up enough to be called an Estate even given to an eighteen-year-old girl who isn’t out of high school yet. Her father grumbled about this, his distaste for the man visible as he asked who will succeed the position of CEO since it wasn’t explicitly stated in the will.

He and the lawyer conversed a bit longer about the technicalities, finally turning to her mother, “So do you think we should send her there to live?”

“What?” Mika exclaimed, she’s only eighteen years old, she doesn’t know how to live on her own!

“Well you’re going to live there anyway, you might as well get used to it.” He frowned at her interruption, his eyes hardening with an unspoken word to keep quiet.

“Don’t I get a say?” Mika asked again. However, her father ignored her question this time.

“Honey, she should get something in the way of an opinion, it is her life that is being changed…” Her mother mentioned, bringing an arm around her daughters’ shoulders.

Mr. Anderson sighed, turning his attention to Mika, “So, what would your choice be.” Mika looked at her mother and father a moment, still reeling from the idea of having such a massive piece of property be hers. At her silence his frown only deepened, not waiting any longer for her opinion he turned to the lawyer and almost spat out “Well I guess we will be taking our leave now, the little Heiress needs some time to adjust.” Her mother called his name exasperatedly. He ignored the tone, setting off back to the car.

Her mother turned to her, rubbing Mika’s back comfortingly as an apology for her fathers’ harsh words. “Don’t mind him, honey, I think your grandfathers’ passing really affected him. Why don’t we get back home for now?” She tried to smile, knowing how sharp her husband’s words can be when he wants them to cut.

Mika shook her head, saying that she’d like some alone time with grandpa for a moment. Her mother nodded and headed back to the car, whispers could be heard only barely above the rainfall as she berated her father for talking to their daughter so bitterly. She tuned them out as she looked down at his drab gravestone, many people knew her grandfather, many more loved him, and she was sure that even if he hadn’t been the one to arrange the funeral himself any of them would have done a better job than her father. As she stood in front of the gravestone she could feel that strength within her crack, letting out a sob she let out an apology.

“I’m sorry, grandpa… You told me to be strong… But right now, I’m the furthest thing from it…” Her mind flashed back to a time long ago, her grandpa asking her advice and giving some in turn. As a little girl he would ask her sometimes about the toys his company was designing, and this particular time she mentioned that she would like to be like him when she got older. The memory of her grandfather told her again that while making people happy is a good endeavor to also make sure that she was also doing something that made her happy. She remembered him talking about her father for a bit, their falling out that she learned of later, and finally his request for her to stay strong. Another sob choked her voice as Mika as she spoke aloud “You willed me the home I loved to see you in… Why? Why would you think I would be ready to take it? Especially after this…?”

Another surge of anger came up from her core, this time resentment at her grandfather for leaving her, and she swept it away again, telling herself that being angry at someone who isn’t even alive anymore is silly. Her sight grew fuzzy again, and she realized belatedly that she was crying once more, Mika apologized for not having flowers for the grave, and a promises to return with a bouquet, she turned to leave, wiping her tears and her cheeks, so her parents don’t realize she’d been crying.

In the car her father was completely silent during the entire drive back, her mother mentioned making Mika’s favorite dinner to break the silence. However, it just settled back in the car like a thick blanket. He didn’t speak again until they were home, talking about how dreary the black clothes they wore were and how relieved he was to finally take them off.

“Dad, can I ask you something?” She asked, her father already shrugging out of the black sports coat he’d worn to the funeral, a bright happy looking yellow form on the back of his neck standing out as he shifted and Mika thought back to the matching mark on her mothers’ skin in the same place.

“Of course,” He said, hanging the coat up and pulling down a thinner green jacket.

“Why do you want me to move into my grandfathers’ estate so soon?”

Her father raised an eyebrow at her question, “I thought I made that rather clear. The college near your grandfathers’ house is well-known for its business program. I am assuming that you are planning to major in business, yes?”

“You didn’t say anything like that…” Mika muttered, eyes flickering down to look away from her fathers’ stern gaze.

“Pardon me?”

“Nothing, sir.” Her father was silent a moment longer before continuing.

“Right after you graduate from high school you can just live there and can easily commute to and from college. It will be a perfect fit for you.” He said that with such confidence it was evident that he’d never entertained any other thought that his daughter might want to do something else with her life.

“It’s just… It’s so sudden. You just decided so quickly after the funeral…” She spoke louder this time, her own doubts weighing on her mind about his reasons. Surely those reasons can’t be the only ones he’s using in his decision.

“Don’t be so sensitive” Mr. Anderson bit out. “If you’re like that in the real world, you’ll be crushed.”

Mika stood tall, keeping her courage together to keep herself in front of him. “I’m just saying,” She started, “that maybe we could talk a bit more about my future.”

“What is there to talk about?” He asked, rubbing his temples in exasperation. “After you graduate from college you will work at the family company since I have connections because I’m part of the board of directors you will be guaranteed a spot within the company. We have discussed this before.”

Mika could feel her shoulders start to hunch over her fathers’ complete faith in what he decided her future to be, “But… What if… What if I-“

“Stop mumbling.” Her father barked at her, causing her to flinch and her face to heat up.

“But what if I don’t want to work there?”

Her father shook his head, “Don’t be silly,” He waved her off. “It’s the family company, our company, and I’m not going to sit around and hand it over to some incompetent Vice Chairman.” Mika flinched at the sharp words, he noticed and forced his face to soften as he said in a gentler voice. “Listen, this is all for the best, okay? You may not realize it now, but you will appreciate it later.”

The anger that Mika had been pushing down all day finally bubbled up at that. “…Do you even care that Grandfather passed away?” her tone angrier than she’d allowed to be thus far.

“Of course, I do.”

Her voice sounded bitter even to her as Mika snapped out “Well, everything seems so fine and dandy to you! Things couldn’t be better!”

Mr. Anderson raised an eyebrow, “Excuse me?” His voice held nothing of the bitterness he held against her during the funeral. “I don’t like your tone, young lady.”

“It’s like nothing even happened!” She continued, ignoring her fathers’ unspoken warning. “It’s like you just ignored the fact that he’s no longer here!”

“Do **not** raise your voice at me.” The warning in his tone was much more prominent now.

“What did he ever do to deserve this?”

Her father lets out a laugh. “You sure do put him on a pedestal. Like he’s some kind of God or something, it makes me sick.” His frown deepened and tone beginning to match Mika’s.

“Is that it?” She asked, anger and frustration building up her courage, pushing her forward. “Are you happy seeing him dead? While everyone was grieving were you holding yourself back from laughing in their faces? Did you feel happier seeing him buried beneath the ground under that slab of a gravestone?”

Before Mika had time to react, she saw her father raise his hand and bring it down to her face. Her cheek stung, and she felt the anger slide out of her body, leaving it feeling cold and empty as he shouted at her.

“You don’t know anything! Running your mouth like you, somehow know everything that went on, when you’re just a little girl that doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut!” She flinched under his words and gaze, eyes bright with his own anger. “You don’t know anything about him! You don’t know what he was capable of! It’s because of him that you don’t have a damn birthmark!” He finally said Mika looked at him in pure astonishment, wondering what he meant.

Her father slowly came back to himself, realizing what he’d said and did just as Mika’s mother came from the kitchen at the sound of shouting and quickly asked what was going on.

Mika shook her head, any ounce of anger gone from her body. “It’s nothing. I’m not hungry, I… I think I’ll just go upstairs.” Before either of her parents could say anything, she ran up the staircase to her room before allowing herself to cry.

She and her father would sometimes get into arguments before, at times things would get heated, but he never yelled at her like that. He’d never claimed that her grandfather was the reason she was born like this.

He’d never hit her before.

Mika raised a hand to her still stinging cheek, now wet with tears, and a new sob racked her chest. She turned to her mirror and looked at it, aside from the flushed cheeks she’d get from crying the spot her father hit only left a red mark. Her eyes took in her crying face and she grimaced, “I need to be stronger than this…” She muttered. Mika told herself that she couldn’t cry for a second time that day and tried to calm down, breathing in and out for several counts until she felt her breaths even out and her tears stop flowing.

Just in time for her mother to knock on the door asking for her input on what happened. “I’m fine,” she said through the door. “I just… Lost my appetite.”

“Are you sure? The lasagna’s done and I’d rather you not skip meals.”

“I’m sure, I’ll come down later.” She tried to force a smile so her mother would believe her, and from the silence, Mika thought her mother was convinced her until a quiet voice spoke from the other side.

“…You’re not telling me the whole story.” Mika inwardly groaned. Generally, she loved how her mother had an intuition for these things, but right now she just wanted to be alone.

“I just don’t want to eat now.” She said again, she wanted to tell her mother about this, about the shouting match, about the words she and her father said to each other, about how her father had hit her. Mika let out a quiet sigh, not that it would change much. She knew her mother couldn’t fix this, and she was moving out regardless, so there was no need to cause drama like this between her parents. Her mother tried to ask again and received the same answer once more before she finally gave in.

“Well… I’ll leave the food on the table if you get hungry later…”

“Thank you,” Mika said as she heard her mothers’ footsteps retreat. She sat there at her desk a moment longer, thinking about how separated she felt from her mother like she was standing on the other side of the world even as her mother stood maybe five feet away behind a wooden door.

Moments had passed before Mika felt the need to move, to do something if only to distract herself from the pain in her cheek. She realized that since she’d be leaving tomorrow, she should pack her things, at least her clothes if not the rest of her personal belongings, those could be collected later.

She quickly pulled out her luggage, opening them on her bed and starting to pull out clothes to fold and pack when her cellphone went off. Naomi and Suzu had decided to call and for that Mika was grateful. She spent the night packing and talking to them. Soon enough she packed her clothes and essentials away and stayed up late, talking to her friends and feeling okay for the first time in what seemed like days. It was early in the morning when she finally realized that she had school in the morning and had to hang up, the outfit for tomorrow had already been selected, and after a warm bath, she gratefully slid into her bed. Though from the excitement of the day Mika spent the night tossing and turning in bed, her alarm waking her up from a very light sleep to start the new day.

Her father had barely bruised her cheek, she had to squint to even see a shadow of it, and for that she was grateful. At school, she had a little respite, news traveled fast and even as she was walking up to the building students and faculty alike were coming forward to offer condolences.

“You have the whole Anderson house to yourself?! Lucky as hell, man!” Suzu exclaimed when she and Naomi learned of her inheritance. Naomi and Suzu quickly became divided on this as well and while usually, she loved Suzu’s fun spirit, this time she had to side with Naomi.

“Naomi’s right, Suzu, too soon.” She let her face fall a bit and while Suzu apologized it was clear she thought she hadn't been rude. Mika told them how she was going to move in after school and thankfully – In Mika’s eyes – they agreed that it was very fast for her, though they seemed to agree that she would probably be okay.

Someone bumped into her, causing Mika to stumble forward as the culprit stopped at Suzu’s shout. A girl named Lisette, someone whom Mika felt no camaraderie with was apparently the one who did it and was trying to apologize and offer condolences for her grandfather’s passing. Mika’s nerves were already threadbare, she felt no need to try to talk to this girl right now. She only nodded at whatever Lisette said and moved on, her bag over her shoulder with the morning’s coursework on it.

“H-hey..!” Naomi said, surprise coloring her words as she and Suzu hurried to catch up.

“You okay, Anderson?” Suzu asked.

Mika let out a sigh. “Yes, I just… I just didn’t want to deal with her right now.” The girls fell silent that at least made sense enough to let her be for the moment. In class Mika was not her usual attentive self, her mind wandering to the fight she got into with her Father, and specifically his claim that it was her grandfathers’ fault that she had no birthmark like the rest of the world.

During her lunch, while Naomi and Suzu were chatting, she did a quick search on her phone for this, but the only thing that came up was a sketchy looking occult website that claimed that people who mess with demons and the like are cursed in some way. The idea made Mika snort, and she quickly had to come up with something to keep the girls from finding out about her.

That afternoon she said goodbye to Naomi and Suzu, riding with her father to the estate.

“Hey, Dad...” Mika said, settling into the passengers’ seat alongside her father.

“Hello, honey…” Her father returned, eyes staring straight ahead and shame coloring his voice. “…I’m sorry for yelling at you the other day… Does your cheek still hurt?”

Mika shook her head, “No, it’s fine now…”

Her father paused a moment longer. “I shouldn’t have laid a finger on you, I mean it when I say sorry. You know that you’re my most precious daughter, right? You’re all that I have.” Another pause. “…I…” He sounded as though he was going to say more, Mika felt hope bubble in her chest, but as he let out a breath and put, the car into gear, she felt that bubble pop with a sigh. They passed along most of the distance in silence, breaking it to exchange platitudes and for her father to ask about her grades, nitpicking at her word choice when she told him she was trying her best.

“Your belongings are in the trunk.” His voice sounded so much more sure of itself when he wasn’t trying to apologize. “You didn’t pack much so I’m sure you can handle bringing them inside the house, as that you’re on the road to being independent now.” Mika agreed and let the silence take hold of the car again.

“…Dad, can I ask you something…” She had to try again, see what he meant by it was her grandfathers’ fault…

“Go ahead.”

“…What did you mean by grandfather being the reason I don’t have a birthmark…?” She didn’t look at his face, but she did see the grip he had on the steering wheel tighten.

“It was nothing.” He finally said. “It’s a claim that I can’t back up and has no bearing on how you should see him.” His tone spoke volumes, and she dropped the subject, staring instead out the window even as they drove onto the estate’s property.

“Here we are,” Mr. Anderson said.

“Alright, tell mom I love her…”

“Alright.”

“…I love you, Dad.” Her father was silent at that, and Mika felt her heart drop in her chest. He only stared at her, any kind words dying before they even leave his mouth. She left the car and went to the back where her dad had opened the trunk to show her luggage. She pulled them out and shut the trunk door, watching him drive off without another word and leaving her behind to this mansion of a house. Her eyes opened in wonder at it, still unbelieving that it was truly hers. She approached the house, bags slung over her shoulders and took in its well-worn brick exterior, the shrubbery that would need someone around to maintain it. The entire mansion looked far too big for one person, Mika had to wonder how her grandfather kept it looking so beautiful, and took out the key to the estate, unlocking the front door to her new home.

**Author's Note:**

> James' route: [Whiskey Eyes on Fire](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9970283)


End file.
